A GOOD DOSE OF REALITY ON GAY RIGHTS

Editor -- In your August 20 article, "King's Niece Slams Gay Rights," Alveda Celeste King is quoted as saying, "To equate homosexuality with race is to give a death sentence to civil rights. No one is enslaving homosexuals . . . or making them sit in the back of the bus."

Really! Just what the hell does she think being fearful of walking down the streets is? Or fearing losing a job or home because one is gay? Or getting kicked out of "loving Christian" churches? Or getting beat up for being what they are? Or being denied spousal rights and inheritance rights? Or being the subject of ridicule and taunts?

Ms. King needs a good dose of reality, as well as a good swift kick in the butt.

A CLASSIC CASE

Editor -- Columnist Jeff Jacoby's polemic against affirmative action (Chronicle, August 20) is a classic example of the slippery slope argument: One physician, a beneficiary of affirmative action, turns out to be a criminal incompetent, and this single example is used to condemn an entire program.

Mr. Jacoby carries this argument further to suggest that minority physicians who benefitted from affirmative action programs are inherently incapable of providing competent medical care and may even be dangerous to their patients.

While I agree that affirmative action as it now exists is flawed, I also believe that the problems it was meant to remedy are still with us. Obviously there is need for an ongoing, honest dialogue which addresses these problems. The use of invective and fallacious reasoning serve only to distract from the real issues.

JEFFREY A. ROBERTS, M.D.

San Francisco

THE ADL RESPONDS

Editor -- The Open Forum article which appeared on August 20 ("Are Hate Fighters Bigots Too?") requires both clarification and response. Mr. Calabro has been assured that ADL considers all bias-motivated conduct unacceptable, regardless of the race, religion, national origin, ethnicity or sexual orientation of the perpetrator or victim.

After correspondence, conversations and meetings between ADL staff and Mr. Calabro in which his stated intention of combating hate crimes and bigotry has been applauded and encouraged, it is difficult to understand why his dissatisfaction continues.

National Voices is a nationwide initiative directed to fighting bias-motivated conduct against all groups to the benefit of the entire community. The fact that four large, nationally- known, long-standing civil rights organizations have joined forces as a coalition is itself historic and reflective of the commitment, energy and resources dedicated to this effort. ADL's partners in this project are the Urban League, the National Conference, La Raza and Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics.

Clearly, smaller, local organizations can play a vital role in combating hate crimes. If he is truly interested in making a dif ference, Mr. Calabro can contact some of the local coalitions in which ADL and other participants in the Bay Area civil rights community participate.

'JUST GO HOME!'

Editor -- "Why don't they just go home?" This was the response of Willie Brown when queried about "Critical Mass" bikers riding again in San Francisco. "Why don't they cause traffic jams in the cities where they live? Why don't they just go home?"

Jesse Jackson will march with his followers on the Golden Gate Bridge on Thursday. He will, either intentionally or unintentionally, cause a traffic jam. Why doesn't Willie Brown tell Jesse Jackson, "Just go home!"

RON REBUCK

A WORSE MESSAGE

Give me a break. A far worse message is sent when we allow drug addicts to contract and spread the AIDS virus through unclean needles.

More than 190,000 Americans have been infected with HIV from infected needles. All of the government's own studies show that needle exchanges dramatically reduce the transmission of the AIDS virus without encouraging drug abuse. In fact, needle exchange workers often refer addicts to drug treatment programs.

Let's be clear: nobody experiments with drugs -- or stays on them -- because somebody gave them a clean needle.

FOR THE RECORD

Editor -- Re: "Generating Paperwork Won't Cleanse the Air" (Editorial, August 22). As one of the lead organizations that filed the petition for re-designation, CBE would like to set the record straight. This action is not a bu reaucratic "mistake." The air district is trying to divert attention from its inadequate efforts. The EPA decision will help the district reach the new federal ozone standards by the year 1999, rather than the federal deadline of 2003.

Our air pollution problem threatens public health. This year the Bay Area exceeded the state standard twice. Your editorial stated that "there has been absolutely no sign of letting up in this area's commitment to healthy air." This could not be further from the truth.

Since re-designation the district has failed to follow through on several regulations which would significantly reduce ozone precursors. Recent proposed revisions create loopholes which would allow refineries to double their total emissions.

This is not a case of "bureaucratic inflexibility." The EPA requirements force the district to work toward the new standards, so these efforts will not be obsolete when these standards take effect. The re-designation decision requires that the district finally do its job: controlling the major sources of pollution and working to "spare our air."

HELPING OUR SCHOOLS

Editor -- Caroline Grannan (Open Forum, August 20) says that parents should do something "more important" than raising money for schools, and suggests they teach reading instead. Well, that's how I began writing library grants: I was helping with reading and realized how desperately our students needed new books!

I'm the parent who wrote the Rooftop grant she inaccurately characterizes as requiring special grant writing skills. On the contrary, Rooftop received the money from the California Public School Library Protection Fund, which state taxpayers support when they check off "school libraries" on their state franchise tax forms. Every public school in California was notified of the opportunity and all were entitled to apply. Twenty-eight San Francisco schools did and all but one received the money -- Thank you taxpayers! In most cases it was a teacher who wrote it.

Given the poverty of California schools that has resulted from Prop. 13, I think the true parental duty is to help teachers in whatever ways we can!

SUSAN JACOBSON

San Francisco

THE COUCH WAS A LOSER

Editor -- Regarding the Matier & Ross article of August 21, I'm amazed that our 50-year-old family furniture business would, for three consecutive years, be at the center of heated debate on the use of public funds for city art projects.

I take pride in all "Marco Fine Furniture" products, including the couch we made for the San Francisco "Glamour Slammer" jail. Though delighted to enjoy a few brief moments of fame and free publicity, I'm embarrassed to acknowledge that we lost money on this now infamous couch.